Rody wants constitutional review finished by end of year

DAVAO CITY – President Duterte wants the consultative committee tasked to review the 1987 Constitution to finish its job within the year so that lawmakers can draw insights from its recommendations as they go about crafting a constitution for a federal government.

“Just enough time also for Congress to act on it… I want it done this year,” the President said upon arrival from India at the Davao International Airport before dawn yesterday.

The President earlier announced his appointment of 19 of the 25 members of the consultative committee chaired by former chief justice Reynato Puno. The President created the committee in December 2016 through Executive Order 10.

Earlier, Senate and House leaders made it clear Congress has the final say on Charter change and not Duterte’s consultative committee. But they said they might get something from the committee’s ouput.

”We do not want to hang, hindi ito cell phone na naghahang, itong gobyerno (this is not a cellphone that hangs, this is government), I do not want it. It’s either we do it, if there’s a cost, so be it,” the President said.

Heated debates over contentious issues among interest groups like the Muslims “may result in violence,” he said.

“The problem is really the procrastination. So I would wait for the right time, procrastinate – and I waste time and the four years is there already, tapos wala akong nagawa sa bayan ko (and I haven’t done anything for the country),” Duterte added.

While his style may not be acceptable to some groups, Duterte said he is bound by his campaign promise to go for federalism to boost development in Mindanao and put an end to what he called injustice to the Moro people.

“You may not like it. You may not like my mouth, my jokes, but that is not really your problem,” he said.

“… para akong mayor lang, kung hanggang dito lang ang talent ko eh ‘di bakit pipilitin ko (I’m like a mayor, if my talent is just this far, why force it),” he said.

“If you do not want to see, just transfer to another channel, isang pindot lang naman ‘yan (it’s just one click),” he quipped.

Greater role for party-lists

As Charter change for federalism makes its way through Congress, party-list representatives are seeking an expanded role and representation in the envisioned federal government.

They want their groups to have seats not only in the national federal assembly or legislature, but also in similar legislative bodies in state, provincial, city and municipal levels of government.

Their proposals are contained in a letter sent to Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, who chairs the House of Representatives committee on constitutional amendments, by Rep. Michael Romero of 1-Pacman.

The committee has decided to keep party-list representation in the federal assembly that would replace Congress.

In his letter, Romero said he was writing Mercado as vice president of Party-list Coalition, which is composed of more than 40 groups represented in the House.